When activism goes too far

“I am currently working on a book, and after interviewing a San Francisco chef, I left furious, appalled and feeling incredibly sad. Apparently he receives death threats because of his offal menu. Did you know about this? Is there anything that can be done?”

Every time I write about foie gras, or rabbits for that matter, I’m barraged with emails from animal activists. That’s to be expected.

Taking the long view, these activists have done a lot to humanize the treatment of animals waiting for slaughter. For most people, animal protein will continue to be part of their diet, and being an animal lover and a meat eater don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I’m not surprised by these threats because many chefs have received them and some acts are well documented.

About five years ago, Laurent Manrique was threatened when he opened Sonoma Saveurs on the square in Sonoma. Not only was the shop vandalized but Manrique’s house in Marin also was targeted. Vandals spray-painted and poured acid on his car and left a threatening videotape of his family, filmed through the windows of his home.

Just last month, two UC Santa Cruz biologists homes were firebombed by militant opponents to animal research.

Like terrorism, this type of “protest” has escalated. It’s too bad; some people may be persuaded by reasoned arguments and discussions, but they’re rarely persuaded by violence.